The 9 best exercises for building bigger legs

“Did you skip leg day, bro?” Well, you at least thought about it. We all have. But focus on the upper-mirror muscles alone and your spaghetti legs will not only attract some less than welcoming looks during your next workout, but it’ll also leave your single-digit body fat plans stuck in neutral. However, deploy the right below-the-belt moves and you’ll pump blood to your largest muscles, burning up the calories and toning your body from shoulders to calves. That’s right, the route to a six-pack is from below.

So which moves make leg day count the most? Below is PT Ollie Frost’s best lower-body moves that will guarantee maximum muscle growth in the least amount of time. RIP skinny jeans.

1. Single leg glute bridge

No points for guessing where this move is gearing for gains: your glutes. But that’s not all it does. According to Frost, this exercise also targets your lower back and hamstrings, vital areas for increasing your squat strength and improving your explosive power.

How to

- Lie on the floor with your feet flat and knees bent.

- Lift one leg off the floor and raise your knee towards your chest.

- Push through the heel of the foot still on the floor to lift your hips as far as you can while keeping your back straight.

- Return to the start position under control.

Expert tip

Develop strength first by using both legs in a standard glute bridge before taking on the single leg variation.

2. Overhead squat

Think you’re a true man? You will be after a few reps of this. An overhead squat will push the limits of your flexibility, stability, balance and strength while also highlighting any weaknesses in your erector spinae, adductors and rhomboids (your hips, essentially) that you may need to work on with the next exercise on this list.

How to

- Grab a barbell with palms facing down and hands almost at the ends of the bar. Lift it to your chest then overhead, locking your arms and retracting your shoulders to take the weight. This is your start position.

- Keeping your arms straight and taking care to not arch your back, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

- Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up to the start position.

- Repeat, then lower the bar under control after you've finished all your reps.

Expert tip

If you want to get the most out of this move (and avoid injury), it’s best to start off lifting the bar alone before adding weight.

3. Deadlift

Because you can’t beat the classics. Not only will this lower-body staple build significant size in your legs, but it'll also build a strong posterior chain that will help improve body posture and add inches to your height.

How to

- Stand with feet slightly wider that shoulder-width apart, with the barbell on the floor in front of you.

- Bend at the knees and the hips to take hold of the bar with an overhand grip; your hands should be shoulder-width apart.

4. Turkish get up

Want level up your squat? Start with this exercise. This move will maximise your hip mobility and range of movement, allowing you to lift heavy with other moves.

How to

- Lie down and hold a kettlebell just above your right shoulder.

- Extend your right arm and push the kettlebell directly above you, then straighten your left arm out to your side. Bend your right knee and move it across your body, placing your foot on the floor.

- Keep watching the kettlebell, still at arms length above you, as you move into standing position. Slowly reverse the movement until you're lying down, then bring the kettlebell back down to your shoulder.

Expert tip

If you want to target all muscles then you have to maintain perfect form - staring up at the kettlebell will keep your head and body in the right position.

5. Barbell step up

Squats and deadlifts may be great at targeting both pins at once, but when it comes to preventing imbalances, you’ve got to step up your workout. By targeting one leg at a time, this uni-lateral move ensures both legs pack a kick. Simply give more reps to your side that’s playing catch-up and you'll be firing with both barrells in no time.

How to

- Stand with a barbell balanced on your shoulders behind your neck.

- Place your right foot onto the elevated platform and push up through your heel to lift yourself up and place your left foot on the platform.

- Step back down with your right foot, concentrating on flexing your hip and the knee of your left leg.

- Repeat all your reps on one side, then swap legs.

Expert tip

Stay injury-free by beginning with light dumbbells before working up to a moderate load with a barbell.

(Related Video: 54 step-up variations)

6. Barbell squat

How could we leave this one out? The barbell squat, the classic compound cornerstone of all leg moves hikes up your muscle-building T-levels through targeting your larger muscle fibres. To put it simply: any decent leg day deserves this move.

- Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip – avoid resting it on your neck. Hug the bar into your traps to engage your upper back muscles.

- Take the weight of the bar and slowly squat down – head up, back straight, buns out. Lower yourself until your hips are aligned with your knees, with legs at 90 degrees – a deeper squat will be more beneficial but get the strength and flexibility first. Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up. Keep form until you’re stood up straight: that’s one

7. Kettlebell pistol squat

Hit a plateau in your pins? You need this move. This advance exercise develops hip control whilst developing the full range of ankle and knee joints, working your muscles like no move before. Perfect for the seasoned gym-goer.

How to

- Hold one kettlebell with both hands just under your chin.

- Lift one leg off the floor and squat down with the other.

- Drive through the heel and bring yourself back up to standing position, without letting your leg touch the floor.

- Lower back down and repeat.

Expert tip

To master this move you best leave your ego at the door. Only aim for 5 repetitions with full control and balance on your first try.

8. Incline treadmill sprint

Single-digit body fat on your wish list? Giving this move your all creates EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) that in turn produces an ‘oxygen debt’ with your body and maximizes your metabolism, says Frost. In other words, it’s a surefire way to raid your fat stores and release the energy that will blow away your belly.

How to

- Increase the incline on a treadmill and sprint at full speed for the designated time.

Expert tip

It’s a brutal move that demands a lot of energy, so should only be used twice a week. When you deploy it in your workout make sure you leave 40 seconds rest between every 20 second sprint, 10 reps max.

9. Standing long jump

You might not have tried this move since primary school, but it’s a move that targets the majority of your leg’s large muscle fibres in a short period of time, giving your explosive strength a major boost. A lower-body building essential.

How to

- Lower yourself into a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart.

- Swing your arms back and use them to propel yourself forward, then bring your legs forward for additional momentum.

- Jump as far as you can and land on the soles of your feet.

Expert tip

To build true power and strength aim for 3-5 jumps in one set followed by a 3 minute recovery before the next set.

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